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(Last modified on 13 April 2009)
The original walk
There are many ways of doing the St Davids
Walk. The 23 sections in the route details were planned for
two retired, married couples with plenty
of time to spare. The men walked the whole route and the women walked
part of it, occupying the rest of their time in a variety of ways: painting, sight-seeing
and just getting on
with their lives. So the first 6 sections were all based on St Davids, an attractive place to stay,
with the women helping to ferry the men around. For the next 12 sections the
men stayed in various sorts of accommodation and, for the last 5 sections, the
party spent a week in self-catering accommodation near Beddgelert with the women doing
some of the walking and again helping with transport.
Not particularly politically correct, but everyone
had a great time. Very highly recommended for any similar party.
(Photograph by Roger Wilmshurst, 01903 892210)
We saw more Red Kites than other walkers during the middle part of the walk
On this part of the journey, accommodation is scarce
(If you are interested in Red Kites, try Gigrin Farm with links to the Welsh Kite Trust, etc)
Your own plans.
The accommodation list which follows should be helpful, whatever
your plans. It includes the places we used together with extra suggestions.
There are two or three occasions where accommodation on the standard route is impossible.
Here, possible solutions are suggested.
Strong walkers who want to get a move on will be able to avoid most problems by simply walking further in a day
but do not overestimate your walking powers.
Some of the route covers terrain where route finding is slow and, in one or two places,
the actual walking is quite arduous. The route notes
(on the route details page
will be helpful here.
Getting to the start and home from the finish
This presents no problem. To get to St Davids,
go by train to Haverfordwest or to Fishguard and take a bus to St Davids.
Bangor has a railway station.
Accommodation List.
The list below includes a variety of types of accommodation.
Most are either small pubs or private houses offering bed and breakfast.
Expect to pay about £20 per head per night for the bed and the breakfast.
Some are Youth Hostels, which will be cheaper and usually rather more primitive.
If you intend to use Youth Hostels, have a look at
YHA web site which contains lots of
information and details of exactly what each hostel offers
Stop 1 I live in St Davids and it is as much as my life is worth for
me to recommend a particular place to stay there. But there is lots of excellent
accommodation, much of it listed on the
City web-site. (
You could do worse than stay in St Davids for several days, arranging transport back
at the end of each day Try 01437-721731, Franks taxis, or 01437-720931, Tony's taxis)
Stop 2 Ffordd-yr-Afon Youth Hostel, Trefin, Haverfordwest, Pembs, SA62 5AU, 01348-831414 (a recently refurbished small, attractive hostel)
Awel Mor, Penparc, Trevin, Nr St Davids Pembs, 01348-837865
(Grid reference SM 845 312, unfortunately a little distance from stop 2
but excellent and worth using as a base for several days)
Trevin Youth Hostel
Stop 3 No accommodation nearby. See above and below
Stop 4 Tregynon Farm, (054 345) phone 01239-820531
(About half a kilometre from stop 4. Classy, award-winning farm guest house although more expensive than the other
places on this list. Worth using as a base for several days
Stops 5 and 6 have no accommodation nearby known to me but you
can stay at Y Garreg Lwyd, Cenarth, SA38 9RB, 01239 710230 arranging transport through Tivy taxis at Llandysil, 01559-363463
Stops 7 and 8 have no accommodation but are very well served by the Glasfryn
Guest House at Llanybyther where
Shirley and Roger Hopkin are very welcoming and friendly. They will collect you from and leave you at
stops 7 and 8, giving you a day with no luggage to carry. They do evening meals (home grown
vegetables!). Tel.: 01570 481400 (mobile: 07866 216064), website at www.glasfrynguesthouse.co.uk
email by clicking here. Address: Glasfryn Guest House, Llanybydder, Carmarthenshire SA40 9TY.
Stop 9 The Brunant Arms, Caio, Llanwrda, Carms, 01558-650483
(An excellent small pub. Click here for a picture.
Stop 10 Nantybai Mill, Rhandirmwyn, Llandovery,Carms, 01550-760211
(A small detour is needed from the direct walk)
Stop 11 No accommodation at this wild spot. There are three
alternatives.
The best is to aim for one of the two remote Youth Hostel, both some distance
from the main route. These are Dolgoch and Ty'n-y-Cornel.
Dolgoch, Tregaron, Ceredigion,
SY25 6NR, 01974-298680 at 806 561 is nearly 5 Km off-route to the East but
can be reached without adding much to the route as follows: from Soar Mynydd
chapel go E into the forest and then N when you meet the Tywi river. Then,
after spending the night there, on Day 11, aim for 794 574 and then
head N, reaching Strata Florida
easily. This alternative walk for day 11 is not as good as the splendid, proper day
11 route.
The other hostel Ty'n-y-Cornel 01980 629259 at 751 535 (you will probably speak to Richard
Hollins who is not actually at the hostel but who can make a booking for you on the spot) is reached
by diverting West from Soar Mynydd chapel. After spending the night there you can
rejoin the route at the start of Day 11 by walking North from the hostel,
over the top of Esgair Hir (756 561) I have not done this but I am told it is an excellent option.
Neither hostel offers meals but you may cook your own food at either hostel and
Dolgoch has a small shop.
Despite all the problems, this is quite an adventure.
Prior booking is necessary and Ty'n-y-Cornel has its own web page (Click
here
Dolgoch Hostel
The second alternative is to walk days 10 and 11 together. The combined
walk is 35.9 Km with high ground and difficult navigation
towards the end. I do not recommend it unless you are exceptionally fit and confident.
If neither of these options appeals to you, get a taxi to Tregaron (phone Tony's Taxis
01974-298652) where you may stay at Lluest Guest House
Lampeter Road, Tregaron, Ceredigion, SY25 6HG,01974 298936 - there
used to be an emergency phone
box at stop 11 but at the time of writing (April 2009) it has been disconnected)
My thanks are due to Emily Fry for much of the above information.
Stop 12 Black Lion Inn, Pontrhydfendigaid, SY25 6BE, 01974-831624
(A short detour is involved from Strata Florida but it is pleasant walking and is
included in the route details. The inn is run by Roy and Joan Bendrey with special facilities
for walkers, eg a drying room,
bar and restaurant meals and packed lunches. See www.blacklionatbont.co.uk)
Stop 13 Tainewyddion uchaf, Cwm Ystwyth, SY23 4AF, 01974-282672 (On the route.
Peg and Reg Liford are used to walkers. Reg is involved with conserving the Red Kite)
Stop 14 The George
Borrow Hotel, Ponterwyd SY23 3A, 01970-890230 (On the route. The only
possible place to stay)
View from the front of the George Borrow
Stop 15 No accommodation - this point breaks the long stretch from
Ponterwyd to Machynlleth. You cannot stay at or near this wild spot but the previous
address will make arrangements to collect you and take you back if you give them
notice of this when booking and stay
there a second night. Strong walkers can avoid the problem by walking days 14
and 15 in one go as suggested in
the alternative route provided
Stop 16 Maenllwyn Guest House, Newtown Road, Machynlleth. SY20 8EY,
01654-702928. (on the route)
Stop 17 The
Riverside Guest House, Abergynolwyn, LL36 9YR. 01654-782235 (On the
route as you start to leave Abergynolwyn. Mr and Mrs Ron Bott are the perfect hosts)
Stop 18 Bryn Melyn Hotel, Panorama Road, Barmouth, 01341-280556
(On the hill out of Barmouth giving you a good start for your long day over the
Rhinogs. Web site at www.brynmelyn.co.uk)
View of the front of Bryn Melyn
Stop 19 No accommodation. The Bryn Melyn at Barmouth will either
collect you and take you back to Barmouth for a second night or you can get a
taxi by phoning 0778-8431854 or 01341-247741.
Strong walkers will walk through to accommodation at Trawsfynydd by the
alternative route provided, a tough day if conditions are poor.
Between Stops 19 and 20 Bryn Dedwydd, Fronwynion Street, Trawsfynydd,
LL41 4SW (ideal if you decide to take the alternative route from Barmouth,
direct to Trawsfynydd. Trawsfynydd is a tiny village associated with the
interesting story of the Shepherd-poet, Hedd Wyn, who was posthumously chaired
at a National Eisteddfod after being killed in the 1914-18 war. This
accommodation is a few yards to the right of the main route, in the centre of the village)
(Unfortunately, Ffestiniog Youth Hostel is now closed)
Between Stops 20 and 21The Grapes, Maentwrog, Blaenau Ffestiniog,
LL41 4HN, 01766-590365 (from the point
SH 665 412 which is 2.6 Km into the day 20 walk, it is less than a kilometre to this pub at SH 665 407)
Gwesty Plas Tan y Graig, Beddgelert, Gwynedd,
LL55 4LT, 01766-890310 (Although the charming mountain village of Beddgelert
lies about 0.3 Km to the left of the route, you will certainly want to visit it.
There is lots of accommodation and this
comfortable little hotel - Gwesty is Welsh for Hotel - is ideal)
Stop 21Bryn Gwynant, Nantgwynant, LL55 4NP, 01766-890251
(a well-situated Youth Hostel at 641 513, just over a kilometre from stop 21)
Stop 22 Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel, Nant Gwynant, Gwynedd, LL55 4NT, 01286-870211
(Exactly on the route and a most historic place. Used by the 1953 Everest Party in training before
their successful first ascent of Everest and full of mementos of that and
other notable climbing events Web site at
www.pyg.co.uk)
If you take the alternative, tougher, options for days 21 and 22, going over
Snowdon and the Glyders, then the Pen-yPass Youth Hostel, Nantgwynant, Gwynedd LL55 4NH,
01286-870428 will suit you very well. Like the Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel, it was an historic climbing centre.
View of the Pen-y-Gwryd hotel
Stop 23 Idwal Cottage Youth Hostel, Nant Ffrancon, Gwynedd, LL57 3LZ, 01248-600225
(On the route map, this spot is called Ogwen Cottage but Ogwen Cottage
is an outdoor activity centre with no accommodation for single overnights.
Idwal Cottage, situated next door, is a Youth Hostel with fairly primitive
but very comfortable facilities. It has a fine community atmosphere and is, anyway, the only possible place to stay)
Stop 24 Bangor is a large town, full of accommodation. Do a search on
Google or a similar search engine for Bangor Gwynedd bed and breakfast and you will be
spoiled for choice.
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